Mistletoe
by LeeshyLoo
Summary: Just a fluffy one-shot that I've been waiting forever for to post. Merry Christmas everyone!


**Mistletoe**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away.**

"Chihiro!" A woman called, seemingly in her mid-forties. A few greying strands of her mostly chestnut hair fell from the loose bun into her kind features. Her grey eyes were locked onto the stairs of the two-storey house, searching for her daughter's voice through the walls. Straining her ears, Yuko could barely hear the faint sound of a door opening, then the not-so-subtle thumping of the approaching teenager's footsteps.

"What is it, mum?" Chihiro queried, hopping down the few final steps. Her long, chestnut hair swayed with Chihiro's movements, before settling back in place to her mid-back when she came to a halt. The teen's grey eyes sparkled with curiosity, patiently awaiting an answer from Yuko.

"Sorry, but would you mind running a quick errand for me? I know it's Christmas Eve and it's getting dark and cold, but I forgot to buy some eggnog."

Chihiro sighed, looking past her mother through the window behind her, and out onto the snow-covered ground. The moon shone bright and high in the sky, making the white blanket of ice glow in the night. It really was beautiful outside tonight.

The sudden ring of a buzzer brought Chihiro out of her reverie. For a moment she watched her mother pull oven mitts over her hands, moving swiftly toward the oven in the kitchen. Opening up the door to the oven, Yuko carefully removed the tray of steaming, freshly baked cookies.

"Okay." Chihiro finally said, eyeing the tray of steaming baked goods in front of her. A small smile graced her lips then; she couldn't wait to try one of her mother's cookies. They were one of her favourite reminders of the Spirit World, as they tasted so similar to the ones Zeniba had made.

"Can I have one?" The teen asked as Yuko slid off the oven mitts and placed each one onto a plate to cool – being careful as to not burn her fingers – and stacking them up into a sort of pyramid shape.

"Please mum?" Yuko sighed, but offered her daughter a smile nonetheless. The older woman quirked her brow, placing her hands on the smooth surface of the bench.

"Seriously, Chihiro? You only had dinner not so long ago." She paused, thinking for a moment before speaking once more. "Alright, one. Be careful Chihiro, they're hot." The energetic teen flashed her mother a grin, before taking the topmost cookie on the pyramid. Pecking Yuko on the cheek, Chihiro thanked her and quickly headed upstairs to her room to throw on her sky blue cardigan. She took a moment to take in her appearance in the mirror on her bedroom wall.

She had long since lost all of her baby fat from when she was ten; a heart-shaped face, with round, kind grey eyes. Her nose was small and curved upwards like a ski slope, and full pink lips with a natural pout. Chihiro's eyes then moved to her body. She had definitely grown from the small, scrawny ten year-old she used to be. Her figure had curves in all the right places, creating an hourglass shape. Her hair had grown much longer too; the ends of its silky strands reaching halfway down her back. Chihiro never thought of herself as pretty, nor ugly. She only thought of herself as an ordinary, average girl in this ordinary, average place. Nothing more, nothing less.

Shaking her head slightly, she took the hot cookie into her mouth as she quickly slid into her blue cardigan, adjusted her red long-sleeve top and pulled up her black skinny jeans. She really needed to get a belt one of these days.

Racing down the stairs, cookie still in her mouth, Chihiro was about to reach the front door when her mother called out to her.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Chihiro?" Confused, she turned around to find Yuko heading in her direction, a smile evident on her aging features. She held out her hand, and it showed the yen that Chihiro would require to buy the eggnog. Chihiro took the cookie from her mouth, and laughed a little at her own forgetfulness. Taking the money from her mother, Chihiro stuffed it into one of the pockets of her cardigan.

"Thanks mum, wouldn't know what I'd do without you." She said as she pulled on her yellow converse. "I'll be back home soon, if it's not too crowded." Chihiro offered her mother one final smile as she took hold of the cookie into her mouth once more.

As Chihiro closed the door behind her, she took a bite of the sweet, yet nutty cookie. Yep, just like the ones Zeniba had made.

The town markets weren't very far from her house, although she dreaded to know how many people would be there for their late Christmas shopping. Chihiro quickly finished off the cookie and hurried over to the shops. Zipping up her cardigan, the teen blew hot air into her hands and rubbed them together to create friction, before stuffing them into her pockets.

She never anticipated it'd be _this _cold. But, she had a job to do, whether she liked it or not. So, she set out on the route which would lead her to her destination. Her footsteps were quick along the pavement; it seemed that the bitterness of winter had encouraged her pace to quicken.

Quickly and quietly she made her way through the busy hustle and bustle, wanting this 'errand' to be over with. After about ten minutes of "excuse me's" and "sorry's", Chihiro finally managed to pull herself into the warmth of the local grocery store. Releasing a sigh of relief, she began her search for the eggnog.

"Let's see, eggnog… eggnog… aha!" She grabbed one carton from the chilled racks, before pausing, and then taking another. 'Dad would probably want one to himself, I'd better get two.' A carton of eggnog in each hand, Chihiro set off toward the counter at the front of the store. Handing the cashier her money, he handed her the plastic bag with the drinks and gave her a receipt. Bidding him goodnight and a merry Christmas, Chihiro stuffed the receipt in the bag before heading back out into the cold.

Chihiro breathed a sigh of relief. Most of the crowd had cleared up, thankfully. Although, before she headed home, the teen thought she might enjoy the beautiful night a little. And so, she merely stood there for a few moments, admiring the beauty of that particular Christmas Eve, whilst standing underneath the roof of the sidewalk next to the local grocery store. Completely lost within her own thoughts, Chihiro didn't notice the approaching figure, silently making their way over to her.

"It's such a beautiful night, don't you think?" Surprised, Chihiro was forcibly brought out of her daze and snapped her head towards the owner of the voice.

"Haku." She breathed; the warmth of her body against the chilly air causing Chihiro to be able to see her own breath. But she wasn't focussed on her breath, as Chihiro found that the boy standing in front of her was far more intriguing than that. She could never in her lifetime forget those beautiful green eyes. Haku smiled softly, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I'm sorry it took so long to keep my promise… Do you think you could forgive me?" His eyes held hope, worry, honesty and most of all, guilt. How could she not forgive him? Chihiro shook her head slightly, and for a brief moment Haku's hope had faltered.

"There's nothing to forgive, Haku. You kept your promise, and that's all that matters. Thank you." She smiled then, seeing his face light up with joy. "I've missed you, you know. I miss everyone."

"I missed you too, Chihiro. Every single day." She found comfort in his soft words, and all she could do was hope. Hope that this wasn't yet another dreaded dream of hers. She needed this to be real. She needed _him _to be real. Chihiro really looked at him then, studying his grown face. He'd gotten much taller, about a whole head taller than she was. His jaw was more angular, with high cheekbones and a sharp nose. Her eyes lingered at his _oh so soft_ pink lips, before travelling back up to those unforgettable eyes.

It seemed he was doing the same thing as she, studying her. Then, for the briefest of moments, their eyes locked, and she couldn't take it any longer. She threw herself into his arms, the plastic bag with the eggnog slipping off her arm, temporarily forgotten on the sidewalk next to her feet. Chihiro's arms clung desperately around Haku's neck, burying her head within his warm chest. Haku, though surprised, slowly snaked his arms around her waist, resting his head atop hers. He had to smile. He'd only ever dreamt of this moment up until now. Hearing muffled sniffling coming from Chihiro's small frame, he pulled her closer. He wanted her to know that he was there for her, if only temporarily.

Chihiro had no clue as to how she could possibly act so calm in such a situation. Although, she couldn't exactly say the same for her erratic heart, pounding constantly against her chest. He squeezed her gently – and she thought that her heart just might explode – before letting go of the embrace all together.

"It's probably best if I tell you this now, but…" Haku sighs, trying to find the right words. "I can't stay here, not for long anyway. I hope you'll understand." Chihiro stepped back half a step, giving him a little more space, though still able to feel the warmth radiating from his body.

"How long can you stay?" Once more her doe-like eyes filled with hope for a good enough answer to satisfy her selfish desires. He seemed to ponder the question for a moment, unsure of how much he should tell her.

"A few hours, maybe a day at most." Chihiro's heart throbbed in her chest and her hopeful expression faltered. Haku thought it best if he explained himself better than that; at least, for her sake. "Understand this, Chihiro. I am a spirit, not a human; I am not from your world. I do not belong here, and thus, this world will reject my body if I stay here too long." A worried look crossed her pretty face.

"What happens when you go back to the Spirit World? Does that mean that this'll be the last time you can visit?" He offered her a reassuring smile.

"I can come back here, just… Just not for a little while is all." His smile turned somewhat apologetic. Chihiro offered a relieved and breathy laugh, before she lured her attention toward the sky, watching as her hot breath took to the stars and disappeared into the blackness of the evening sky.

"That's a relief." She stated, smiling sincerely at the moon and the glittering stars surrounding it. "I thought you were going to say that you can't come back after tonight. I honestly don't know what I'd do if I couldn't see you any more, after all this time." Chihiro paused, before laughing at how foolish she thought she sounded. Haku however, merely smiled at how sweet her words sounded to him. There was a short pause between the two teenagers, before Haku decide to break the silence.

"…There's one other thing, though." He sighed. Chihiro turned back to face him once more, giving him her full attention with her round, curious eyes. "The less time I spend with you tonight, the less time it will take for me to recover from the trip." He paused again, unsure of his next words.

"Which means that you'll be able to visit sooner?" He smiled.

"Precisely… Actually, I was hoping that maybe…" Haku hesitated, feeling nervous. Chihiro patiently waited for him to finish. He fiddled with the ends of his jacket. "Maybe you'd let me spend Christmas with you…?" Blushing, he turned away quickly to hide his embarrassment. She giggled, bringing her hand up to her mouth at an attempt to muffle the sound slightly.

"I'd like that, Haku." She grinned. His emerald eyes grew wide, and he turned his attention back to her.

"Really?"

"Really really." Her smile broadened, bringing Haku to grin along with her.

"I can't wait." There's a long, long silence between the pair, although not a second of it was awkward for either of them.

Chihiro caught a glimpse of something glistening in the corner of her eye. Curious, she looked up to the sky to find tiny, sparkling snowflakes floating silently to the ground.

"It's snowing…" Having caught her companion's attention, he looks up, smiling gently.

"I guess it's going to be a white Christmas this year."

"Yeah." Suddenly remembering something, Haku quickly turns to his friend.

"Oh! Chihiro, would you mind turning around for a second?" She gave him a questioning look, but complied anyway. Haku hastily whispered some sort of jibberish, and before he knew it he'd just conjured a small object out of thin air. Holding it firmly yet shakily in his hand, he brought it up above his and Chihiro's heads. "Okay, you can turn back around now." She turned around, noticing his extended arm. She followed the form with her eyes, until they stopped at what he grasped in his hand. Haku cut in before she could say anything. "Before I came here tonight, I did a bit of research on Christmas, as I'm not particularly familiar with it. I just so happened to read that when two people stand underneath this so-called mistletoe, they're supposed to… kiss…" He laughed, embarrassed and unbelieving that such words were coming out of his mouth. "I've had a crush on you since I met you, Chihiro." His arm falls back to his side, although the mistletoe stays put, floating in the air above their heads. Taking both of her hands within his own, he smiled gently at her, hoping she'd accept his feelings. She laughs lightly.

"I know, Haku." Then, whilst intertwining one hand and bringing her other up to grab the collar of his jacket, in one swift motion she pulled him down towards her. The kiss was soft, sweet and yet so chaste. She tasted of the sweetest cherries, whilst on the other hand he tasted suspiciously like gingerbread; she'd assumed he must've visited granny Zeniba earlier that day, making her smile into the kiss. His heart pounded loudly in his chest; so much so that he feared she might've heard it. Haku became breathless quite quickly, having to pull back from the kiss. With another giggle, Chihiro states, "I suppose I'll be seeing you tomorrow, then."

"Yeah…" Still dazed, Haku wobbles backwards a little. "Merry Christmas, Chihiro."

"Merry Christmas, Haku." She grinned. Once he had eventually wobbled out of her sight, she decided it'd be best if she headed straight home. Chihiro walked a few paces, before stopping abruptly. "Shoot! I forgot about the eggnog!"

She hastily retraced her steps back to the convenience store in which she bought the cartons of eggnog from, before quickly finding the culprits lying – thankfully – unopened on the pavement, still within the protection of the bag. Chihiro sighed, frowning at the indents on the cartons at closer inspection.

"Stupid Haku."

~o~o~O~o~o~

**A/N: Okay I know it's not exactly Christmas anymore but at this point I really don't care because I've literally been waiting to post this for a year. Yes, I started this around a year ago, but I never finished it so I had to wait another year ._.**

**Anyways the story behind this is that out of all the Christmas fics I've read so far I haven't once read one that involved Haku and Chihiro kissing under the mistletoe, which made me sad. So, I made my own fic! Yay!**

**I really hope it's good because I really did put quite a bit of effort into this, sort of… (I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO PROOFREAD I'M SORRY)**

**Okay so I just tried to post this, AND IT CAME UP WITH AN ERROR. WHY DOES THIS SITE HATE ME GOD DAMN.**

**Merry (not) Christmas everyone! Love you all!**


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